Whoa, it’s been way to long since I’ve been here. I think the dust bunnies have had grand dust bunnies! Those following me on Twitter know that I am “still alive”, and starting a little side project on Tumblr, SexyMenReading. So, I’ve been looking / listening to a lot of stories lately. Yeah, fun it is, only thing better would be to get paid for having said fun. Hopefully, one day….*G*

Anyway, I decided to bring a bit of the story time here, featuring two celebrities reading. And, I chose these two because a) it reminds me of grandparents reading to me and b) the stories are so classic and wonderful and begging to be shared again and again.

First up, Ms. Betty White reading Harry the Dirty Dog, which for me is one of my favorites as a young reader.

Next up,  Ernest Borgnine reads The Rainbow Fish. He makes me want to smile and say “Thanks, grandpa” (and I can totally imagine my grandpa reading this to me, well, after we watch some football, that is – hehe).

Hope you enjoyed those reads. What are some of your favorites out there? Do tell. I’m always on the prowl for more good reading material.

A Life of Ruts, Poetry, and Music to Soothe the Soul

Sometimes I feel like my mind is gone.
I do a task; it helps a bit.
Then, I realize there’s more to do.
Oh, geez…overwhelming thoughts.
Games amuse me, if only slightly.
Reading comforts, for it’s another good escape.
But, can’t escape forever, tasks beckon again.
How can I get it all done? Sighs deeply.
Yet, I hope:
…for improvement
…for wealth
…for something
…for whatever need of the moment.
Is it silly? Perhaps. Selfish? Probably.
There’s an old religious saying: God only gives us as much as we can handle.
But, sometimes I wonder why the burden has to be so great.
Here my pensive thoughts lead to sadness again… we can’t have that for long.

[flips record]

A quote I from a book I recently read revolves in my head:
“Maybe life is nothing but ruts. Comfortable ruts–when things are going well. Jarring ruts–when things go wrong. I don’t know. We sort of settle in and feel content with the familiar–even when the familiar is not what we want in life. Are we really fearful of change?” ~The Matchmakers by Janette Oke

Time to shake things up…I’m going to shake it out.

What rut are you in at the moment? And, how can we use it for something good?

Teaser Tuesday

It’s Tuesday. The weather is cold and rainy. Inside, though warmer, emotions are taut and worn. I have another book hangover from finishing another series. To help myself recover, I’m playing a book game with you all, called “Teaser Tuesday”.

Who says Bingo is for old farts?

It’s Friday night, and what am I thinking of at the moment? Reading…and another game/challenge. Okay, enough laughing at my social life already. Actually, I feel blessed to have a moment to read, especially lately.  ;P Anyway, I noticed the Reading Bingo game challenge a couple weeks ago and thought “that’s neat, but I don’t think I have the time to keep up with it.”
In case you’re wondering what the heck? Here’s one of the bingo boards:

Well, I looked at this again at it today and discovered something: one month into the new year and I have 1 square from Bingo on several columns! And, that’s without even paying attention. So, I’ve added yet another challenge to my reading list. (you can see my progress via my Read in 2014 page)

Hip hip, hooray…calloo, callay, another challenge is underway!

Want to join me? Link is on the above graphic (direct link on my 2014 page).  Can you beat me to bingo? C’mon…drink the Kool-aid…it’s sweet and has no calories, so you can have it all day long. ;D Do leave a comment if/when you try the bingo…or why you don’t like Kool-aid.

Awaits for you to feed my curiosity. In the meantime, there’s a book calling my name again.

It’s a good day…for reading

Holy flip…did you know?
It’s National Reading Day! Hip, hip, hooray. Well, for me, that’s about every day if I can, and I consider myself very fortunate to have that privilege.

Anyway, the national reading day site is dedicated to getting kids into reading. I’ve personally recommended wegivebooks.org for this task. It has books for various ages, and all one needs is an internet connection. And, for every book you read, the site GIVES free books (real books) to kids in need.

So, why are we just sitting around here? It’s story time!

Here’s a story about a man and a dream (whom we just celebrated on a holiday this month):

And, here’s a classic tale that many people can relate to these days, thanks to a certain “Polar Vortex”:

Yeah, I know…as good a book as that is, I’m adding one more, something I found one day and turned out to be a really cute read…

(note: this last one’s  available through Amazon.com; no get/give points, but if you click, you do support my reading fund *please, please, puppy-dog eyes*)

Oh, and in case you didn’t click on the wegivebooks link yet, go explore it more sometime (after reading my site, of course). They’re having a contest involving reading and Wrestlemania at the moment, encouraging kids to read all they can.

Happy reading, y’all!